Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1887-10-22

mluus
Let chiefs abstain-and spare the sacred
juice
To sprinkle to the gods-'tis filter use."
Homer.
A story is current in the Orient of
a wise old Sheik who gave to young
Arab Prince, from whom he was
about to part, a list of crimes, and
babe him choose the one which
seemed least harmful.
The young prince turned in horror
from murder, theft and loss of virtue
and told the Patriarch he would
choose intemperance. "You have
chosen that" said the wise old man,
(which will bring you all"
To drink deeply--to be drunk-is a
sin; this is not denied, AT what
point does the taking of strong drink
become a sin? We suppose a man
perfectly sober; one glass excites
him, and to some extent disturbs the
state of sobriety, and SO far destroys
it; another glass excites him still
more; q third fires his eye, loosens
his tongue, inflames his passions; a
fourth increases all this; q fifth makes
him foolish and partially insane a
sixth makes him savage; a seventh
or an eighth makes him stupid--a
senseless degraded mass. ,....B But when
does the sin begin? AT the first steps
toward complete intoxication, or al
the sixth, seventh, or eighth? Is moi
every step from the natural state Of
the system toward the state of stu.
pid intoxication an advance in sin,
and a yielding to the unwearied
tempter of the soul.
Is there no middle way betwixt to.
tai abstinence and the excess which
kills you? For your sake reader, and
that you may never attain to my ex.
perience, with pain I must utter the
dreadful truth, that there is none....
The waters have gone over me. But
out Of the black depths, could I be
heard, I would cry out to all those
who have but set q foot in the peril
GUS hood.-Charles Lamb.
Which of your boys, the heaven O.
your heart and life, will you give il
order that your city may be Lighted
with gas or brilliant with electri,
light? Which child can you spare t.
help your city grade and pave it
streets? How long will you consen'
to tread on sidewalks that the BLOOD
o fsouls has enabled your city to lay
for your convenience?
Life-boats are good when ship
have gone to pieces on the fatal rocks
but how much better the light-hous,
that saves from wreck. 1t is blesse,
and Christ-like to send out our Cos
pei temperance life-boats for the res
cue of the poor men and women VIII
are struggling in the yeasty billow
Of intemperance. Just as much NOR
blessed, just as much more Christ
like is it to real the lighthouse il
this most deadly headland of our re
public, and save the boys and girl
from being wrecked on the treachel
Gus rocks of intemperance, as tn
whole of life is better than a part, a
formation is better than reformation
construction than reconstruction.
1t is mere mockery to ask us topu
down drunkenness by moral and II
ligious mean when the Legislator
facilitates the multiplication of incite
ments to intemperance on every side
You might as well call upon me a
the captain Of a sinking ship and say
"Why don't you pump the waite
out? 2" when you r scuttling tn
ship in every direction. If you vii
cut off the supply of temptation,
will be bound by the help of God t
convert drunkards; but until 70
have taken off this perpetual suppl
of intoxicating drink, we never ca
cultivate the fields. You have sui
merged them, and If ever we reclair
one portion, you Immediately begi
to build upon it a gin-palace or som
temptation to drink. sees Let the Legii
lature do its part and we will answe
for the rest.
From North and Southland from East an